


The Devoted

by sempre_balla



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Canon Compliant, Flowers, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, i know that in tone it doesn't fit this fic at all but in name it does, yes I named the fic after the banging gm theme from rd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-24 03:26:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17696762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sempre_balla/pseuds/sempre_balla
Summary: "I even bet Soren’s secretly expecting you to give him some flowers.”“What? No, he’s not.”“He totally is!"





	The Devoted

**Author's Note:**

> HEY EVERYONE!!! WHAT A BANNER HUH?? GAY RIGHTS!!!
> 
> this isn't set in the heroes canon because 1. I've never played the game I just like looking at pretty jpegs of my faves and hearing kyle mccarley voice yet another best boy 2. I'm just very confused about the multidimensional conundrum and I feel much more comfortable just using pre-path of radiance as a setting. so greil never died here! hooray!

It takes Ike every ounce of willpower he possesses to look down at the flowers and not try to think about the amount of food he could buy with the money they’ve spent on them. He fails, actually, glaring down at the colorful blossoms like they’re personally responsible for the fact that Ike could’ve bought mutton, which he hasn’t eaten in ages, but now he can’t anymore.

“If you keep glaring at the flowers like that, they will wither,” Greil says. Ike looks up at his father to see him grinning lightly, and he feels his frown deepening.

“I mean, we can’t even eat these,” he says. He knows he sounds childish, which is something he hates—especially in front of his father—but he can’t help himself. It’s such a waste.

“Oh, come on, pup.” Greil slaps Ike on the back with enough force to nearly make him trip. “The flowers aren’t even that bad. The fabrics for the clothes were more expensive.”

“Why are we pouring all our money on this, again?” Ike asks, mourning over even more roasted mutton that he’ll never get to eat now.

“Because we got a really high-paying job, and it’s nice to let ourselves have fun every once in a while.” Greil pauses briefly to side-eye Ike. “It’s not like you to worry about money. You’re letting Soren influence you too much.”

“I’m not!” Ike protests, even though he hadn’t minded celebrating the Day of Devotion until he talked to Soren and the mage started ranting about pointless expenses and useless traditions. “I really don’t think there’s a reason for us to celebrate this, that’s all. I mean, it’s a festival for lovers, right? We’re all single!”

“You and Soren should stop acting like total grumps,” Mist chimes in. She’s been organizing the flowers they got in a small basket, and now she’s accusingly pointing a yellow one at Ike. “The Day of Devotion is about celebrating all kinds of love, which means that you both have more than a reason to join! I even bet Soren’s secretly expecting you to give him some flowers.”

“What? No, he’s not.”

“He totally is! We’re all gonna give each other flowers to show our appreciation and you’re just gonna leave him hanging.” Mist tucks the flower she was waving around back in her basket and stands up, putting a hand on her hip. “Don’t you want to show Soren you appreciate him?”

Ike falters at that. Soren is always finding one way or another to show Ike how much he values him, and Ike always settles for just receiving those affections. Shouldn’t he give back now that he has the chance? Or is that going too far, and against Soren’s wishes?

“If I give him something he’s just gonna complain about me wasting money on him…” he protests weakly.

“Maybe, but he’ll also be super happy!” Mist counters. “He’ll love any gift from you.”

Ike purses his lips and looks up at his father, who smiles at him.

“Come on, boy,” Greil says. “Let’s go buy some more flowers.”

 

* * *

 

 

“For Ashera’s sake, Ike, where are you going looking like that?”

Ike stops dead in his tracks, looking down at himself. He feels ridiculous in these clothes, but Mist was kind enough to at _least_ buy and sew something that resembled his usual attire. He looks up at Titania, clad in flowy skirts and with a flower crown perched atop her head, and thanks the goddess that he wasn’t forced to go through such a drastic change in clothing.

“Looking like what?” He asks, which makes Titania sigh.

“I know you’re not used to delicate clothing, but you could’ve put some more effort into dressing yourself properly.” She nears him and reachers for his neck. “Your necktie is all crooked. And why are you wearing this old headband?”

“I’d feel naked without it,” Ike says, sincere.

“Well, I guess I can understand that,” she replies with a low chuckle. She lifts her skirts with one hand, revealing black leggings underneath. “These weren’t a part of the outfit, but I just couldn’t go without them.” She goes back to adjusting his clothing, working on the sash around his waist now. “But at least they’re not torn.”

“It’s fine, no one will notice,” Ike dismisses, shrugging. “How was riding practice with Soren?”

“Awful, he hates it,” Titania laughs. “But he’s not backing down, and he’s a quick learner, so he’ll be fine. He’ll go on horseback when we head to the festival to get some more practice in, too. Maybe you can ride with him.”

“Maybe I can,” Ike absently replies. He doesn’t really understand why Soren’s suddenly being taught to ride on horseback, though he can recall the mage saying something about mastering the skill in case there’s ever any pressing need for him to use it. However, Greil had said that Soren had apparently had been forced to ride one when he was training with another mercenary company and it had gone awry. No one’s told Ike exactly what happened, but the bandages that Soren wore around his ankle for the weeks following his return were quite self-explanatory.

“There, all done,” Titania says after a few seconds, patting him on the chest. She takes a step back and looks him up and down with a satisfied expression. “What a strapping young man.”

Ike snorts. “Thanks,” he says. “Is Soren in his room?”

“Yeah, go check on him. I’ll go see how Mist is doing.”

Ike nods and jogs towards Soren’s room. He pauses before the door, checking his sash to see if he still has Soren’s gift stacked in there. When his fingers graze it, he nods to himself and knocks on the door. He waits for a few seconds to see if Soren will tell him to come in, but after a while he shrugs inwardly and opens the door without given permission.

Soren is sitting on his chair, staring out of the window and idly twirling a red flower with his fingers. He’s wearing the brightest clothes Ike has ever seen him in, green, blue and white contrasting with his dark hair and the golden trimming that complements the outfit. He looks pristine and refined, and a little stunning if Ike has to admit. Being so used to seeing Soren in old black robes makes him seem much more radiant now.

Soren turns around and smiles softly at Ike; a smile that Ike returns.

“You look great,” Ike says, nearing him.

“So do you,” Soren replies before looking down at his own clothes. “I feel ridiculous.”

“So do I,” Ike laughs. He toys with the puffy ornaments of his cloak. “But Mist put a lot of effort in these outfits, so…”

“Yes,” Soren agrees, running a hand down the fabric at his lap. “And they’re not uncomfortable.”

Ike nods and crouches down in front of Soren so he can look up at him.

“Do you still feel bad about going into town to celebrate?” he murmurs, watching the mage’s expression closely.

Soren shrugs one shoulder, looking at the flower he’s holding. It’s bright and red, the color of Soren’s eyes. It’d look nice on his hair, in a crown like the ones Titania made for Mist and herself.

“The money has already been spent, so there’s no reason to dwell on it now,” Soren says matter-of-factly. “What about you? You went into town this morning to prepare for going into town later today.” He smiles a cheeky little grin that Ike always finds incredibly contagious. “Feeling lazy about going back?”

“Well, people were still setting up for the festival,” Ike explains, “so I imagine things will be pretty different. We’ve already been roped in, so we should at least walk around together and try to have fun.”

“Wouldn’t you rather spend the festival with your family?”

“That’s what I’m gonna do.” Ike rests a hand on top of Soren’s and smiles at him. He revels in the way in which color blooms in Soren’s pale cheeks, already familiar with that telltale sign that he’s flattered his friend. “Plus, my father and Mist already know I’m gonna spend all my time in the food stands,” he adds—because he knows Soren is always more likely to feel comfortable when the he isn't the sole focus of the conversation—, “so they’re already expecting me to separate from them at some point.”

“You know what I meant,” Soren protests, his voice cracking slightly. “The fact that I was invited doesn’t mean…”

“It means exactly what I said,” Ike interrupts. “Oscar, Boyd and Rolf are going into town together, Rhys went back to his parent’s house for the day, Gatrie and Shinon… well, I don’t know, but I also don’t care.” He squeezes Soren’s hand. “The fact that you and Titania are going with us says it all.”

Soren’s blush deepens, and he looks at Ike with so much affection in his eyes that Ike’s breath hitches. Soren pulls his hand away from his, but reaches forward to bring the red flower to Ike’s head. Ike feels him placing the stem in his headband, and softly twisting the flower to adjust its position.

Ike would normally protest, sure that he looks even more ridiculous with a flower on his hair, but when Soren pulls away and smiles softly at him, his words die in his throat.

“Thank you,” Soren whispers. “It may have been a waste of money, but… maybe this festival is not so bad.”

“You think so?” Ike says and, emboldened by Soren’s words, he reaches into his sash. He pulls out one of the bracelets he bought, his own already snug around his wrist, and holds it out. “Then take this.”

Soren gingerly takes the bracelet, treating it with much more delicacy than Ike has. He looks at the flower placed in the center of it, and frowns.

Uh-oh. Not the reaction Ike was expecting.

“You got these?” Soren asks slowly.

“I know nothing about flowers so Mist helped me pick,” Ike replies. “She also got some to give Father and Titania, and one for herself, so we all match.”

“They’re also red roses?”

“No, they were pink.” Ike holds up his wrist. “Like mine, but smaller. Why?”

“Did she tell you what these mean?”

“The bracelets?” Ike is the one that frowns now, confused. “They have a specific meaning?”

“Flowers do,” Soren’s fingers tighten around the fabric of the bracelet, and he looks at Ike with a serious expression. His cheeks are still tinted pink. “She helped you choose this one knowing you were going to give it to me?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask? What does it mean?” Ike pauses and gives Soren a suspicious glance. “And why do you know what it means? You’re not interested in flowers, are you?”

Soren shakes his head. “Mist made me read a book on flower symbolism to her while she prepared the outfits,” he explains. To Ike it had seemed like his friend didn’t like the gift, but Soren starts slipping the bracelet on his wrist, which makes Ike incredibly relieved. He wouldn’t know what to do if he messed up something this simple. “She wanted to be prepared for when she bought the flowers, but didn’t have the time to do read and sew.”

“So? What does it mean?”

Soren bites his lower lip and looks at Ike in an indecipherable way. He strokes the red flower on his bracelet again, a blush still present on his cheeks, and then stands up from his seat.

“It’s not important,” he dismisses. “Let’s go.”

“I want to know,” Ike says. Soren doesn’t reply, silently reaching for a basket on his desk that Ike hadn’t noticed before. It’s full of blue flowers that Ike also thinks would look wonderful in Soren’s hair. “What do _those_ mean?”

“A few things,” Soren answers cryptically. He picks one and hands it to Ike. “Want one?”

Ike wordlessly takes the flower, eyeing Soren suspiciously. “What about the one in my hair?”, he asks, and he starts smiling when Soren makes a show out of humming.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” the mage says, a playful glint in his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ll ask Mist, you know,” Ike warns, his grin growing wider. He offers his arm to Soren, who takes it with a smile of his own.

“Be my guest,” Soren replies. They get out of the room and start walking together, but Soren tugs at Ike’s arm to make him stop.

“Is something wrong?” Ike asks, turning to look at the other. Soren’s expression is suddenly serious, and, if Ike is reading him well, a little nervous.

“I have something to tell you when the festival ends,” he starts, his voice small. “Will you listen?”

Ike doesn’t know what Soren will tell him, but he tenses a little in nerves and anticipation—Soren isn’t one to build up to conversations like this, so it must be something important. Still, Ike smiles and gently coaxes Soren so they can resume their pace towards the rest of their family.

“Of course,” he says. “But let’s enjoy the festival first. I have to eat lots of things to compensate for the money we spent on all of this.”

“What a flawed logic,” Soren chuckles, following along.

Ike pretends that he doesn’t notice how flustered Soren looks, or how his blush hasn’t subsided at all, matching beautifully with his eyes, and the flower that Ike has given him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> amaryllis (red flower in Ike's hair) - pride, determination, radiant beauty  
> red rose (soren's bracelet) - romantic love, longing  
> pink rose (everyone else's bracelet) - admiration, gentleness, appreciation  
> iris (soren's blue flowers) - faith, loyalty, wisdom
> 
> these aren't the confirmed flowers, just what I think the flowers in the alts look like (and what they mean). I could totally be wrong so don't hold me on those okay? flower symbolism is great and also soren definitely confesses that night just so you all know
> 
> (p.s. I know I have other fics to work on, but I am a busy little bee who has been both blocked and using all of her free time to play kingdom hearts 3. I'm still slowly chipping away at the multichapters, I promise!)


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